MCA voices rakyat’s anxieties on proposed changes to Income Tax Act – “Dead-end if one is unable to comply within the notice period”

22 Oct, 2011 – While critics have unfairly bashed MCA as latchkeys in the Barisan Nasional administration, the press conference called by MCA Young Professionals Bureau chairman YB Datuk Chua Tee Yong on the anxieties of the rakyat in view of the proposed amendments to the Income Tax Act shows that MCA does not simply rubber stamp every proposed Bill to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat. MCA will disagree when the occasion warrants.

Where such amendments to any existing Act gives unfettered powers to the authorities (in this case it is the Director General of the Inland Revenue Board), MCA will not shy away from forwarding the uneasiness of the rakyat (in this case, it would encompass everyone in Malaysia who has any form of income which must be declared annually be they Malaysian citizens, permanent residents, expatriates and foreign investors.)

Tee Yong who is also the Member of Parliament for Labis explained that when “PM announces Budget and tax incentives, they will have to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat before being approved. The proposed amendments to the ITA were inserted in the Bill for debates but was not highlighted.”


Thus, MCA is sharp enough to have picked out these one-sided proposed amendments to the ITA which do not favour the rakyat at all and is now taking the necessary measures needed to have these particular proposed changes to the ITA withdrawn.


The MCA Young Professional Bureau voicing up its disagreement to the proposed amendments points to another issue. If the rakyat does not give its mandate to MCA to represent them, not only will the Chinese community be left unaided, but every other Malaysian and non-Malaysian tax payers would be affected too as income tax is an inevitable feature of everyday life.

Tee Yong also said that “MCA encourages the government to always reduce leakages. But in any new proposals to any Acts, it should not cause fear, anxiety to taxpayers who have submitted dutifully or followed regulations. If the ITA needs to be amended, there must be clear guidelines for appeal. The government should provide avenue as long as the claim is general, it should be accepted by the IRB.”


Tee Yong will highlight the rakyat’s unease at the MCA Presidential Council scheduled to be held this Tuesday, 25 October 2011 for the four MCA Ministers to raise it up at the next Cabinet meeting as well as for the MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek to deliberate further at the National Economic Council meeting.

Chua Tee Yong:MCA encourages the government to always reduce leakages. But in any new proposals to any Acts, it should not cause fear, anxiety to taxpayers who have submitted dutifully or followed regulations.